Investigation of the composition and morphology of raw materials from the Aral Sea region

Clay and clay-based minerals have attracted research attention because of their unique properties and a vast range of applications in industry. In order to assess the potential applications, four different processed local kaolin-based raw minerals were collected from the Aral Sea region of Uzbekistan, and the total mineralogical properties have been explored. The results reveal that the structural, vibrational and electronic properties of metakaolinites only slightly differ from those of kaoline. The presence of corundum, quartz and kaolinite structural phase in minerals was determined by XRD analysis. FTIR and Raman studies expose the primary peaks which are associated with the functional groups of Al–OH, Al–O and Si–O in higher-frequency stretching and lower-frequency bending modes. The elemental and chemical compositional (XRF and XPS) analysis demonstrates the presence of major elements (Al, Si, Na, Fe, Ti) in the raw mineral and other metal contaminations (Mg, Ca, S, Cr, Zr). The SEM analysis demonstrates the morphological nature of kaolin-based raw minerals that can be exploited for industrial purposes.